Although most of the policies contained in this document are fully applicable to grants made to foreign institutions and international organizations, a few of the requirements are different. These requirements are set forth below.
In general, foreign institutions and international organizations are eligible to receive only research project grants, including conference grants. For purposes of this policy, the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine and its operational organization, the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, located in Panama, and the American University, Beirut, are considered domestic organizations. (See below for the types of support not available.) For an international conference, i.e., a meeting so designated by its sponsor or one to which open invitations are issued on an equal basis to potential participants in two or more countries (other than the United States and Canada), the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society is the eligible grantee regardless of the conference site. Grant support for such conferences held outside the United States or Canada is limited to specific activities, such as the support of an individual panel or colloquium, and is not available for general conference support.
Other types of PHS grants, such as National Research Service Awards, program projects, centers, resources, health services, and construction shall not be made to foreign institutions or international organizations unless the program has been specifically designed for support of such projects in a foreign setting and has had prior approval from the PHS agency head.
Grants may not be made to individuals in a foreign location (i.e., outside of the United States and its territorial possessions). Occasionally, however, a fellowship award is made to an American citizen or a noncitizen national to study in a foreign institution. (A noncitizen national is a person who although not a citizen of the United States owes permanent allegiance to the United States, such as a resident of American Samoa.)
Proposed foreign grants must meet the following criteria in order to be awarded:
2. The project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries which are not readily available in the United States or which provide augmentation of existing U.S. resources.
3. The foreign grant applications must be in the upper half of the research grant priority scores as recommended for approval by the final review group at a given review cycle in order to be approved for funding. However, a priority score in the upper one-half is not an automatic guarantee of funding.
A change of grantee may not take place where it will involve the transfer of a grant to or between foreign institutions or international organizations.
The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic organizations are likewise allowable to foreign institutions and international organizations, with the following exceptions:
2. Customs and Import Duties: Unallowable. This includes consular fees, customs surtax, value-added taxes, and other related charges.
3. Indirect Costs: With the exception of the American University, Beirut, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health Organization, indirect costs will not be paid (either directly or through a subaward) to organizations located outside the territorial limits of the United States or to international organizations regardless of their location.
4. Patient Care: Patient care costs under foreign grants will be provided only in exceptional circumstances and then only with the prior approval of the PHS awarding office.
5. Matching: Foreign institutions and international organizations shall meet any requirement for matching through the nonrecovery of indirect costs.
The initial project period and each competing continuation thereof for foreign grants may not be authorized for more than 3 years each.
All requests for funds, including the budget contained in the application, shall be stated in U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, PHS will not compensate foreign grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the issuance of supplemental awards.
Awards to foreign institutions and international organizations are not paid through the HHS Payment Management System nor are they eligible to be paid under a Letter of Credit. These grants will be paid by U.S. Treasury check on a quarterly basis; that is, the amount of the annual award will usually be paid in four equal installments.
Foreign grantee institutions must submit annual Financial Status Reports in English and in terms of U.S. dollars. The currency rate in existence at the time the Financial Status Reports are prepared should be used in preparing the reports. Record retention and audit requirements are the same as those for domestic grantees.
2. Animal Welfare. The animal welfare requirements contained in section 4, "Public Policy Requirements" apply to grants made to foreign institutions and international organizations.
3. Human Subjects. All international research grants are subject to 45 CFR Part 46, the regulations for the protection of human subjects. All foreign grantee institutions must submit an Assurance of Compliance if human subjects are involved.